Nail-clipping devices in which the clippings are intended to be retained to the device and held from scattering during clipping of the fingernails or toenails, and collected for disposal, have heretofore been known. Such nail clippers of the type fitting in the pocket or purse usually utilize two superimposed spring steel elements riveted together at their distal ends and having inturned sharpened cutting edges at their opposite ends in which the steel elements are biased apart when riveted together, with the top element extending from the rivet angularly away from the bottom element, to bias the cutting edges of the elements away from each other at the proximate ends of the spring steel elements, to enable the fingernail or toenail to be placed along the lower sharpened cutting edge and be trimmed as said cutting edges are brought together. Such clippers have also had retaining means for the clipped nails which extend along the top and lower spring steel elements toward a point where the spring steel elements come together. While such clippings retainers and collectors may prevent scattering of the nail fragments, they materially add to the cost and bulk of the clipper and are objectionable in that the clippings frequently fly out the sides of the clipper and when this does not happen the user of the clipper frequently lets the clippings accumulate in the clipper rendering it difficult to clip the nails when the retainer is filled with clippings.
While the efficiency of clipping can be increased upon emptying the clippings from the retainer, it is usually difficult to thoroughly clean the retainer of nail clippings, particularly when the nail clippings are not clean and the oil of the dirty nails causes the clippings to adhere to the retainer and clipper, and thereby adds to the build-up of nail clippings in a next succeeding clipping operation.